Hello! My name is Jillian Rudolf, and I am a rangeland sciences major with an animal sciences minor at Oregon State University. I just finished my sophomore year, and I am amazed by how fast college is going! I am a fifth-generation farmer from Fort Rock, Oregon, where we grow alfalfa hay and cattle.

I have been involved with agriculture my whole life. In elementary school, I was in OSU Extension 4-H, where I participated in cooking and sewing. In middle school, I showed 4-H market steers. In high school, I was heavily involved in our Future Farmers of America chapter. In FFA, I participated in competitions, showed a market steer, and served as the secretary and the president of the chapter. In college, I am involved with the Steer-A-Year club and my sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi.

Because of my background, attending OSU and being in the College of Agricultural Sciences made the most sense. After earning my degree, I plan on attending law school. I want to be an agricultural lawyer, focusing mainly on contentious issues and advocating for the agricultural community.

I will work in the Extension office in Umatilla County this summer with Chris Schachtschneider, an assistant professor and livestock and natural resource Extension specialist. So far, I have been networking with local producers at events like the OSU Columbia Basin Agricultural Research Center Field Day and the Umatilla Cattlemen and Cattlewomen’s Father’s Day Barbeque. I also have been brushing up on computer skills by learning some video editing. I have also started a research project that looks into water and water rights in the county and state. The rest of my summer will be filled with more producer visits and an expansion of my computer and communication skills.

I am excited to be branching out this summer and getting involved with Extension. I have already learned so much through this internship and am excited to see what the rest of the summer offers!